Method of making sheet-metal pulley-casings.



' No. 898,276. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

I F. B. SLOAN. METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL PULLEY GASINGS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1907.

- 2 SHEBTS SHEET 1.

No- 898,276. PATBNTED SEPT.'8, 1908.

P. E. SLOAN.

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL PULLEY GASINGS.

APPLIGATION FILED 111:0. 31 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

aweuroz witnesses mr NDR- PrrsRs c0, wAsmua-mn, 174 c.

FRANCIS EUGENE SLOAl I, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET-METAL PULLEY-CASINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed. December 31, 1907. Serial No. 408,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, FRANCIS EUGENE SLOAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Methods of Making Sheet-Metal Pulley-Casings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of making sheetmetal pulley casings and has reference to the pulley casings shown anddescribed in my pending application Serial Number 381,195 filed June28th 1907 for sheet metal pulley casings.

One object of the invention is to improve the method of manufacturingsash pulley casings from a blank of sheet-metal so that thepintle-supporting flanges thereof may be formed by metal that has beendisplaced from the blank within the marginal edges thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method ofmanufacturing sheet metal pulley casings in which the pintle-supportingflanges are formed integrally with and project inwardly from theopposite edges of the pulley-opening.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1, shows a flat sheet-metal blank from which the casing is to beformed. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a rear elevation and side viewrespectively of the sheet metal form after the first operation on theblank. Fig. 4, shows a rear elevation of the partly finished casingafter the second operation on the blank. Fig. 5, illustrates across-sectional view through the device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6, showsan end elevation of the complete casing. Fig. 7, illustrates alongitudinal sectional view through the complete casing. Fig. 8, shows aperspective view of a complete casing in its preferred form. Fig. 9,illustrates a partly-formed casing made in accordance with my inventionbut having a slightly modified form. Fig. 10, shows a cross-sectionalview of the same. Fig. 11, illustrates an end of a complete casing ofthe modified form, and Fig. 12, shows a horizontal sectional view of thesame.

In the production of a casing in accordance with my inventionconsiderable difficulty has been experienced in producing thepintlesupporting flanges of sufficient width or depth to mount a pulleyof a size in proper proportion thereto and at the same time to produce acasing of one piece in which the metal shall be of sufficient thicknessat all points to withstand the strains to which it will be subjected inthe practical use of the casing.

By my invention the casing is formed from a single blank; the metal isnot weakened at any point and the product is cheap and at the same timestrong and durable.

I am aware that it has been proposed to slit the metal of a blank in theformation of a pulley casing and to then bend the slit edge of the metalinwardly but for the purpose of forming rope or cord guides, and I amalso aware that the pintle-supporting flanges or cheek-pieces have beenformed by bending the side edges of the blank laterally, but as far as Iam aware I am the first to form pintle-supporting flanges from metalthat has been displaced from within the marginal edges of the face plateand carried inwardly.

Referring to the drawings the rocedure in the production of the casingwil first be described, particular reference being made to Fig. 1 whichshows the blank, 1, from which the complete casing is to be formed. Thisblank is provided with upper and lower ends, 2, and outwardly-projectingside ortions, 3, between the said ends so that sai blank is of a greaterwidth between its ends than at said ends. This blank is placed in apress or any well known construction and having properly-shaped diemembers to make a central longitudinal depression therein so as to forma semi-circular projection, 4, at the inner or surface, 5, of theb1ank,the face, 6, of the blank forming the outer surface of the casingwhen completed. This hollow semi-circular projection, 4, is curved bothin a longitudinal as well as a cross-wise direction after this firstoperation on the blank, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. During the operationof forming this semi-circular projection the wider portions of the metalblank are drawn toward the central depression and this metal thus takesthe place of metal that has been displaced and forced through thecentral depression. In addition to this the metal acted upon by the dieis stretched or drawn but to such a slight degree as to be almostimperceptible and without afiecting its strength. It will thus be seenthat after the first operation the semi-circular projection has the formof a housing having the flat sides or walls, 7, and a wall, 8,connecting said flat sides. In forming this semi-circular housing I havefound that better results can be obtained and economies effected if thedepth of the side walls thereof after the first operation, are less thanin the completed casing, for the reason that the original width of theblank need not be so large and I avoid the liability of weakening orrupturing the metal in the effort to produce the total de th desired,and while it is possible at the 'rst operation to make the housing there uired depth by using suflicient metal, I prefer to obtain theincreased depth by means of a second and then a third operation as willnow be described.

The second operation to which the metal form is subjected is illustratedin Figs. 4 and 5 in which it will be seen that a longitudinal slot, 9,has been cut into what might be called the bottom wall, 8, of thesemi-circular projection or housing. At each end the slot, 9, terminatesin an elongated opening, 10, which latter are formed preferablysimultaneously with the formation of the slot and have position adjacentthe inner surface, 5, of the face plate. The exact location of theseelongated openings, 10, is immaterial and the same may be closer to orfurther from the surface, 5, than as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. During thissecond operation the face plate may also be trimmed around its edges andprovided with the perforations, 1 1, and the countersunk depressions,12, around the same for the reception of screws or other fasteningdevices may be formed at the same time. It will thus be seen that afterthis second operation the partly formed casin will have a face plate, alongitudinal central opening with inwardly-projecting walls or flangesand a slotted bottom or wall, 8, which latter curves over from thewalls, 7, and partly closes the bottom of said central opening, and themetal form is ready for the third operation. This third operation is empoyed to increase the width of the flat sides or walls, 7, which iseffected by a die operation. In this operation the die members operateon the inturned sides of the slotted bottom wall, 8, and turn said wallsoutwardly in a direction parallel with and thus make them continuationsof the flat side walls or flanges, 7, as shown in Fig. 6. By thisoperation the side walls are extended further away from the innersurface, 5, of the face plate and a suflicient width or de th of I sidewall is thereby provided to enab e the proper size pulley to be utilizedin the casing.

During either the second or third operations I may, and preferably doprovide an outer rim flange, 13, around the face plate as shown in Fig.8. This flange serves to stiffen and reinforce the face plate andprevent the ends thereof from curling or bendin In Figs. 9 to 12inclusive a slightIy modifled form of casing is illustrated, the onlydifference being the location of the elongated openings, 10, at each endof the longitudinal slot, 9, and in the omission of the outer rimflange. In this form of device the flanges or walls, 7, are notconnected at their ends as is true of the casing shown in Fig. 8, butthe method employed to produce both casings is the same with theexception that that portion of the die for forming the outer flan e isomitted in producing one device. Whi e the pintle of the pulley may besupported in suitable perforations, 14, in the flanges or walls, 7, itmay also be secured in any other well-known mamier such as by Welding itin place.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1s,

1. The method of manufacturing pulley casings from a single blankconsisting in displacing the metal from within the marginal edges of theblank and forcing said displaced metal inwardly from the outer surfaceof the blank to form an elongated pulley-opening with pintle supportingflanges at opposite sides thereof.

2. The method of manufacturing pulley casings from a single blankconsisting in displacing the metal from within the marginal edges of theblank and forcing it inwardly from the outer surface thereof to producean elongated pulley opening with pintle supporting flanges at oppositesides of said opening and then longitudinally separating thepintle-supporting flange at one side of the opening from the flange atthe other side of the opening.

3.v The method of manufacturing pulley casings from a single piece ofmetal consisting in forming a flat blank which is narrower at its endsthan between the latter, then drawing the metal at the wider portion ofthe blank toward the center thereof and displacing said drawn metal byforcing it inwardly from the outer surface to form an elongated pulleyopening with pintle supporting flanges at its opposite longitudinalsides.

4. The method of manufacturing pulley casings from a single blankconsisting in forcing the metal inwardly at a given point in the blankto form an elongated pulley housing which is closed at its inner endthen removing a longitudinal strip of metal from the inner end of thehousing and finally turning the remaining portions of said housing endoutwardly and parallel with the sides of the housing.

5. The method of manufacturing pulley casings from a single lateconsisting in forcing the metal inward y at a given point to form aprojecting hollow ulley-housing at 10 the inner side of the plate t enremoving the inner end of the housing and trimming the edges of theplate and finally turning the trimmed edge of the plate to produce alaterally-projecting flange.

In testlmony whereof I affiX my signature 15 in presence of twoWitnesses.

FRANCIS EUGENE SLOAN. Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, Jr., G. FERDINAND VOGT.

